


Of Models, Modeling and Letting Go of the Uneven Bars

by Azure_K_Mello



Series: Blunt Force Trauma [5]
Category: Fantastic Four, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Action Figures, Gen, Johnny Storm is a Good Bro, No Apologies, Not Avengers friendly, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is doing his best, The Author Regrets Nothing, They Are Kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-27 07:09:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20944343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azure_K_Mello/pseuds/Azure_K_Mello
Summary: It was 364 days after Peter’s life (and leg) had taken a very violent turn. Then, while excited about action figures, Peter ran into a blast of the past who made him think how far he'd come.





	Of Models, Modeling and Letting Go of the Uneven Bars

It was three hundred and sixty-four days after Peter’s life (and leg) had taken a very violent turn. As he walked into the MSF building, Marissa met him and said, “Spider-Man, I am so sorry. I’m a moron and if you want to reschedule, we can. I didn’t realize what week this was.”

“Marissa, it’s okay,” he assured her. “I wouldn’t have agreed to come if I couldn’t handle it. We’re gonna have some fun. I had a growth spurt, you need new pictures to figure out my new thigh to torso ratio for the fall lineup. I’m thrilled my mangled leg’s growth plates are okay. So, do you want movement or just height pictures? Because I’m way better at moving now.”

“I would love that because the suit is so much snugger now, and the material moves different.”

Peter nodded, “I’m back to be as muscular as I used to be. And I had to let the cuffs out because I got taller and they got tighter. Heck, get someone to put some gym equipment in, and I’ll do some real gymnastics.”

“I want you to take a look at the new collector’s line that gets released in two months. I’d like your input.”

“You just want to give me free stuff,” he replied. 

She shrugged, “There’s enough time to change hairlines.”

“But that’s not why you want me to look.”

“We’re a charity for kids. Our founder went to prison for his role in torturing a child. We want toys to fall out of your room and spill out into the hall when you open the door. Because toys are fun and you’re a kid who likes action figures. Please, please, Spider-Man, star whatever you want. If you want everything in the room, that’s cool. If your best friend’s birthday is coming up, star it twice: might as well do some shopping. We want you to have a happy, easy life and be out there, shining and free.” 

They went to the toy room, she was texting about gym equipment, and Peter was excited to see the new line. A woman at the desk outside’s jaw dropped, “Hi, Spider-Man. Um, you guys should maybe come back in an hour. I have someone touring the toy room.”

“Was this scheduled?” asked Marissa with confusion. 

“Drop by, I’ll call you?” she spoke quickly, like she was stressed. Lines were tight around her eyes.

Nodding, he said, “It happens. We’ll go to the camera room and come back.” He wasn’t sure why she was stressed, but he didn’t want to make her life harder. 

He and Marissa started to walk away, and she said, “I am so sorry, Spider-Man. This is not what I intended, and I didn’t realize the date.”

“Do you have good snacks for after?” he asked. 

She smiled, “I made quiche.”

“Then it’s a pretty good day. I get to see a friend, have a look at Green Coal Blues, eat quiche and look at toys. I’m not a diva like Cyclops,” he said, assuming Scott was one of the most laid back people to model. He put an arm around her shoulder, jokingly.

Smiling, she agreed, “What a diva: he wants his glass of tap water served cold.”

He laughed and heard the door open behind them. Then a voice he hadn’t been in the same room as in three hundred and eighty-five days said, “Spider-Man?” He was suddenly glad he had an arm around Marissa as his knees went weak. She put her arm around his waist and squeezed gently. They kept walking. “I’m so sorry, Spider-Man. I’m so sorry. I was in California — if I had had any idea what was happening — I would have come and shouted and done something. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I’m even here; I was going to just let New York be yours and never make you look at me. I just had a meeting and-”

He sighed and stopped walking. He breathed slowly and let go of Marissa. Turning, he looked at Pepper Potts, “Y’know what’s weird? Bruce begged Stark to save me, and he apologized to me for failing and came and helped for ten months with my medical care and rehab. Clint apologized for not getting through to Stark and gave me a dog. JARVIS apologized for not being allowed to destroy the weapon and gave me my research which was technically your property. He gave me Karen, my AI. She was made by Stark, and yet she wants a body and five minutes alone with him. Rhodey wrote me a letter to say sorry. The Fantastics apologized for being off planet. Happy wrote me a letter. You’re standing here apologizing for being unaware and in a different state. What does it say to you that the only ones who haven’t apologized are the people who did it? Nothing said at their sentencing, no letter. They admitted fault, but they never apologized. What does it say about the company we kept? I don’t blame you, Ms. Potts. And, if you’re in contact with them, please don’t tell them to write letters. Anything they sent me now? Tomorrow it will be exactly one year since Steve Rogers broke my leg with Captain America’s shield. If they wanted to say sorry, they would have. If they wrote me now, that would just be you apologizing a second time. Excuse us; Marissa and I need to leave.” He turned and walked fast with Marissa next to him. He didn’t go into the camera room; he went into the green room and put his back against the wall and sank down. “Wow. How bad was that, Marissa? I kinda blacked out halfway through.”

“No, it was great. Very polite. It wasn’t offensive or unkind.” She crouched down. “Do you want to just eat quiche until she’s gone and go shopping in the model room?”

He shook his head, “This afternoon was gonna be fun and distracting: you have good snacks, and you’re making action figures that will be a couple of millimeters taller because Steve Rogers didn’t damage my growth plates. Why was she here?”

Marissa shrugged, “Probably approving the new War Machine toys. Colonel Rhodes never lost his name.”

“Rhodey wrote me a letter, he apologized. He was in Iraq, didn’t know I’d been kidnapped. He said he would have beaten sense into Stark. Everyone apologized.”

She nodded and was quiet for a few moments. “Want me to get Johnny to come?”

“That would be cool,” he agreed, “he likes snacks.” She took out her phone and typed. “You really think she’s here because of Rhodey? Does she have anything to do with MSF?”

“No, none of the directors or execs are connected to Stark,” she shook her head emphatically. 

Peter’s normal phone beeped, and he dug it out of his backpack. There was a picture of an ugly cat and a note that said, “Look at this ugly cat. See you in five.” 

He smiled and held it out to Marissa, who said, “That cat is so ugly.”

Peter pushed himself up, “Quiche time.”

“Spider-Man, I am so sorry for how this is going.”

“Marissa, you just saw me have a small panic attack. I think it’s time you call me Spidey.” He saw the quiche and said, “Wow, that looks crazy good. You made it?”

“I baked for you, Spidey.”

“Really kind of you, thank you.” He cut himself a slice and also got some chips. 

They settled together on the couch, and she said, “So, what did you think of your bedspread and stuff? I haven’t seen you since you modeled. Y’know, usually flashes from your violent past don’t pop up. You can always come over. Call, and I’ll make sure no one you don’t want to see is here.”

“Yeah, but Ms. Potts just dropped by.”

“I’ll send out an official memo saying people should call ahead.”

“Is everyone going to get this official memo or just Ms. Potts and Rhodey?”

“It will look super official,” said Marissa, making Peter laugh. “Anyone else you dislike?”

“No, I’m buddies with everyone else. New Year’s was awesome: like, everyone was at the same party. Rhodey and Ms. Potts weren’t.”

“It’ll look super official, but I have no doubt that Ms. Potts will tell Colonel Rhodes exactly why such a memo was drafted.”

“Is that petty?”

“We’re a children’s charity,” Marissa shrugged. “You’re a child who was tortured. It’s not petty to keep you away from people who you connect to your trauma. Not petty at all. You don’t have to smile at Tony Stark’s best friends. That is not your job.”

“Okay.”

“I will send it out tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Marissa, that makes me feel better.” He took a bite of quiche and said, “Wow, Marissa: you can cook.”

“It’s my mom’s recipe,” she said, taking a bite of her own slice. 

There was a knock, and Peter said, “If that’s you, Johnny, come on in.”

Johnny opened the door and said, “Who else would it be?”

“Ms. Potts is in the building; she apologized,” said Peter.

Johnny whistled and said, “Jesus wept.”

“You’ve been reading Hellblazer?” asked Peter, “Y’know that comic makes you sad.”

“Everyone John Constantine loves dies gruesomely.” 

“Jesus wept is a great curse though,” said Peter.

“And you don’t like real curses,” Johnny said. “Is this quiche homemade?” he asked as he cut a slice.

“Baked it myself last night,” said Marissa.

“That’s really good,” Johnny said, through a mouthful.

“I worry,” said Peter, “that I will get used to them and then swear in my house and have to put money in the swear jar.”

“You have a swear jar?” asked Marissa.

“Doesn’t he kinda seem like he grew up in a house with a swear jar?” asked Johnny.

“Yeah, actually, I can see that.”

“Yeah, a swear jar that even guests have to pay into,” said Johnny. “Which, frankly, I find fucking offensive.”

Peter smiled. “It’s not bad, just don’t swear.” They ate their quiche, and Peter asked, “Do you think she’s gone?”

“I’m sure she was out of here less than ten minutes after we spoke. She probably fled the building,” said Marissa.

“I’m ready for the Green Coal Blues when you are.”

“What’s a Green Coal Blue?” asked Johnny.

“They are the spherical cameras in the other room,” answered Marissa, “we’ll go once you finish your snack, Johnny. We’re not really supposed to eat in there. I mean, we do, but we’re not supposed to.” 

“After this, I’ll drive you to Queens, Spidey. I’m having dinner at my friend Peter’s house.”

“Cool, as long as it’s not out of the way.”

“Nah, he’s in Queens.”

“Thanks,” said Peter. Across the hall, Peter saw a vault, a beam and uneven bars. “Awesome,” he grinned. 

“Don’t only girls use the balance beam?” asked Johnny.

“In the Olympics,” agreed Peter. “Men’s competitive gymnastics are just about showing coordination, balance and strength. Women’s are about agility, grace, flexibility, strength and elegance. Forgetting gender biases, which of these sounds more like how I move?” asked Peter, hopping up onto the beam. He thought back to the Olympics and thought of Simone Biles’ routine. “Johnny, put this on social.” He wanted a fun afternoon. He wanted to not think about the date.

Johnny got out his phone and said, “Ready when you are.”

Peter said, “This is Simone Biles’ beam routine. I’m going to do my best, but she is awesome and a warrior.” He breathed out and moved through it, having fun. He dismounted with the same twirl she had and landed. Marissa cheered, and there was whooping from the door. He turned and saw what appeared to be half of the MSF staff watching. “It’s no Simone Biles, but I did my best: kinda wobbly.” 

Johnny smiled, “Posting now and totally tagging Simone Biles.” Peter moved to the uneven bars and Johnny said, “Don’t get up there until I’m ready.” 

Peter stretched and said, “Marissa, where do I need to stand for your height pictures?”

“Are you really going to insult the Green Coal Blues like that?” asked Marissa. “They are getting everything.” Looking at a screen, she said, “So much data.”

Peter considered the bars and Johnny said, “Okay, I’m ready. So what’s this gonna be, Spider-Man?”

“Nothing, it’s going to be trapeze toy meets the hardest gymnastic move on record that is legally permissible.”

Johnny cocked his head, “There are illegal gymnastics moves?”

“You won’t, like, get arrested,” said Peter, jumping up to catch the lower bar, and swinging to pick up speed. “But you’ll get kicked out of a competition.”

“Why?” asked Marissa.

“They’re moves where you could very easily break your neck or your back. And, even if the gymnast is willing to risk it, you can’t put moves like that on TV with the hopes that kids won’t try to do it at home. Kids are totally gonna, and then the International Gymnastics Federation gets sued because an eight-year-old is left paralyzed because they tried to do a sideways vault.” 

“Can you do a sideways vault off a vaulting table?” asked Johnny.

“Well, I can, but I’m Spider-Man. Let’s not put it on YouTube. Don’t do any of this at home, kids, unless you’re a gymnast and you’re with a trainer.” He worked up more speed as he flipped between the bars. “There’s a super awesome move where you throw yourself back to hit the lower bar, and it actually bounces you to the higher bar. It’s really fun, looks really cool and could break your lower back and neck at the same time. I’m not going to do that. I’m going to do this.” He released and performed a perfect Tkachev Salto. There were gasps and whispers as he did it. He did it four times in a row, adding in extra twists when he got enough distance from the bar. “I can do it one-handed too but, again, that’s super dangerous, and you can shred your rotator cuff to pieces, dislocate your shoulder and break your arm in a split second. It’s a banned move.” 

“Were you a gymnast when you were little?” asked Marissa.

“Kidding me? I had brutal asthma. I had to use my inhaler when my friends and I would ride our bikes or skateboards in the park. I was also clumsy, uncoordinated and had balance issues. I had to wear all the pads.” said Peter. “This is all radiation enhancement. Once I got powers, I started trying stuff from YouTube.” He got a little too much height. One minute he was having fun, the next minute there was a hole in the ceiling the shape of his foot. He caught the bar and swung slowly before dismounting. “I am so, so sorry. My gosh, I didn’t expect that. I am so sorry, I guess I got used to doing this stuff in the gym at the Xavier School and forgot ceilings are a thing. I am so sorry.”

Marissa looked shocked, “Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Well, you’re okay and none of the Green Coal Blues got damaged, so it’s fine.”

“I am so sorry, Marissa.”

She started laughing, “It’s okay. You aren’t hurt, the expensive stuff is fine. It’s just a little hole.” 

Everyone in the room was laughing, and Peter was blushing under the mask. “I am so embarrassed.”

“One time, Cyclops had to take his visor off so we could get some specs. And then he sneezed. Three fire extinguishers had to be used as he stood there with his hands over his eyes, apologizing,” said a woman. “A hole in the ceiling is not the worst accident we’ve had. Relax.” 

“That’s going on YouTube,” said Johnny, typing fast on his phone. “Thought I would just be posting a video about the rules of gymnastics while you did crazy jumps. This is so much funnier.”

Peter groaned. Hiding his masked face in his hands. “I am so sorry.”

“Spidey, it’s fine,” said Marissa. “Let’s skip the vault today. There are now splinters all over this room. You kicked out a spray of wooden shards.” He groaned again. She shook her head with a smile, “Let’s go shopping in the toy room.”

“Do I really deserve toys? I broke your ceiling.”

“Three hundred and sixty-four days ago, Steve Rogers broke your leg,” said Marissa. “This is just a ceiling. It took you ten months to get the all clear. That ceiling will be fixed in a week. Don’t sweat it. Come pick new toys.”

They went to the toy room, and both he and Johnny were handed clipboards. To the woman at the desk, he said, “I just broke the ceiling in the camera room, but Marissa is still giving me toys.”

“Did anyone tell you about Cyclops’ fire?”

“I heard,” said Peter.

He and Johnny spent an hour examining the toys. One of Sue had something super uncanny valley about her. One of Remy had eyes that looked like conjunctivitis. They made their way through, critiquing and starring things. Marissa took their lists, sending messages to the designers and said, “I am having them pull your stuff from the back. Let’s stop by the green room, I think there are cookies.” 

“I’m a little thirsty after playing for so long,” said Peter. “I am so sorry about the ceiling.”

“Did you know that your toys were the top sellers over the holidays?” she asked. He hadn’t, but he had been stunned by the check they sent him. “The Avengers line took a massive hit. Colossal, brutal. We would have been in the red. And yet, we had one of our best seasonal takes ever. Don’t worry about the ceiling. You are a cash cow for the charity. You kept our head above water. Thanks for letting us do a second line so fast.” 

“How did my line do?” asked Johnny

“Wonderfully. No one ever loses interest in you, Johnny,” Marissa said. “But the Avengers have ways been our top performers, and the loss would have made us go under. We really appreciate a second line.”

“Don’t thank me, thank my growth plates,” said Peter. “No need to model if my body hadn’t changed.” They got to the green room, and Peter heard a vacuum running in the camera room. He sighed.

“We had to remodel after Cyclops sneezed. He still gets his checks and any toys he might want. These things happen,” Marissa assured him. They drank soda and had cupcakes. 

Johnny was texting and said, “Can we just discuss how obnoxious our other friend is since he got a girlfriend? He has canceled plans, like, three times in a row. He just canceled again. And, like, I get that Shadowcat is his first girlfriend but, at the same time, why do we no longer get any of his time?” 

Peter nodded, Ned was always texting with Kitty, or skyping with Kitty, or going up to Westchester to hang out with Kitty. “I’m pleased he got a really nice girlfriend. Shadowcat’s awesome and I really like them together. I introduced them. I think that’s great. But, at the same time, I feel like I’m forgetting what his face looks like. I got a girlfriend, and every once in awhile I say, ‘I can’t hang out: we’re doing something.’ But he says it, like, every day. And, even during conversations, he is continually texting with her. They must send each other over two hundred texts a day. Is Ice feeling the same way?”

“He’s apparently asked Charles to ban phones from the dining room because he wants, like, a half-hour where she actually focuses on him,” said Johnny, making Peter laugh. “Maybe your girlfriend can girl talk to Shadowcat about not losing yourself in a man or something? I want them to date; I think they are adorable together, but I also want a little time to hang out with him.” 

“Aww, it’s so nice to hear you two talking about your relationships,” said Marissa. “I remember when you were fifteen, Johnny, and fighting not to stutter around girls. Now you have girlfriends and boyfriends and are being irritated by your friends also having relationships. Meanwhile, as the woman in the room: I don’t know this guy, and I don’t know Shadowcat, but I know she’s had a rough six months. So, if she’s got a boyfriend, and she likes the boyfriend, let her just enjoy it. New relationships can be really intense, especially if you are going through other rough things. Twelve laws got repealed or voted down because of her. Four good bills in the process of becoming laws. And that’s great, but having your name bandied around that much by the government is stressful. Let them be obnoxious for a while, it will settle down.”

“When though?” asked Peter. “They kind of started dating around Christmas. They went as ‘just friends’ to New Year’s, but they kissed on the cheek. And then it’s just been ramping up ever since. It’s April, when are they going to settle? Our MMO guild is really suffering because he got a girlfriend.”

“Give it six months,” said Marissa. “If they make it another six months, it will ease up.”

“Do you know how long that is for our guild?” asked Johnny.

“I’m not even sure what an MMO guild is,” said Marissa, “I’m just thrilled that Shadowcat has a boyfriend.” Afterward, when they were leaving, bags were waiting for them at the front desk. Peter saw a new onesie in his and Marissa said, “You had a growth spurt and bulked out. That’s the next size up.”

He smiled under the mask, “Thank you. I live in it and it has gotten snug.”

“It’s also kind of ratty because he wears it all the time, like, to walk his dog and go to the bodega for milk,” said Johnny.

“It’s not ratty; it’s broken in,” said Peter.

They said good bye to Marissa, thanking her again for the quiche, and Peter changed in the car. It was the Volvo with tinted windows that didn’t stick out. “May invited me when I told her that I was being summoned to the MSF because you were freaking out, so I picked the boring Reed mobile.”

“Thanks for coming,” said Peter. 

“Dude, free toys and cupcakes. I bet you have gone viral for both those videos.”

Laughing, Peter said, “I put a hole in their ceiling.”

“You did,” agreed Johnny. “Want to hear something really funny? Like, hilarious.”

“Sure,” said Peter. 

“Bobby had a crush on me before we met. Like, a full-blown crush.”

“I already knew that,” said Peter.

“And you didn’t tell me?” asked Johnny. “You set me up with a fan.”

“He had a crush on your face. Not on you. If you knew he had a crush, you would have acted like the guy in the magazine. But I thought you guys could be awesome together, so I didn’t tell you. You guys met and hit it off and, when you went to get your swimsuit, he gushed about how nice you were. If you were acting like a cool celebrity, you wouldn’t have seemed as nice, as approachable and fun. I didn’t tell you on purpose. And now here you are over seven months later with a boyfriend who refuses to go with you to photoshoots. You’re not dating a fan, Johnny, you’re dating someone who really likes you. And, if you get married, he’s already practiced his signature with your last name for years.”

“What if he had turned out to be a stalker?” asked Johnny.

“I lived at his house for months. We talked about LEGO, sports, the Avengers and food way more than we ever spoke about you. It was just a celebrity crush. It would be hard for you to meet someone who doesn’t know your face, between action figures, the cover of GQ and seeing you with dignitaries on the news. People know you, and you have that face. Most people you could date have a crush on you already. It was just a silly crush based on glossy pictures. I knew he would like real Johnny way more than the model. You’re much more likable in real life. The model is cool; you’re my best friend.”

“I told him I love him. He said it back then he admitted he had had a crush.” 

“Oh God, tell me you didn’t freak out.”

“No, I just teased him. I didn’t freak out. He had a crush. I think it’s actually adorable.”

“Angry at me for setting you up with a fan?”

“No, he’s perfect. I love him and he loves me. It’s been said now.”

“That’s awesome,” said Peter.

“He’s so perfect,” said Johnny.

**Author's Note:**

> So, this can be read as the end. There is one more story but it's sad and this is happy. I hope you liked it! I love comments and kudos just so I know if I'm doing anything right!


End file.
